Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-29
THE CHILDREN,s CHRISTMAS CLUB
OF WASHINGTON CITY.
BY EDMUND ALTON.

| the streets OF Portland, Maine whistlipe and
whirling the snow before &c as it went. lady sat
In her pleasant room thinking OF the cherries
houses OF the poor, OF pale women and weak men
and delicate little ones, without food without fire.
| without clothing. She thought OF Christmas and
the homes OF the rich OF stockings distendng with
their loads OF fair faces rosy with delight OF tur
keys and plum pnddings and mistlstoe boughs
and holly, and blazing logs and ringing laughter
And As she thought OF these happy things her
heart went out in pity to.those hungry little faces
and shiSering little frames, to whom Christmas
" out a day or want and misery-and Santa
Claus unknown. And then a noble impulse seized
her. "ohi they must, they shall know santa
Claus. Christmas shall be to them day OF glad
Alone she could do but little. Hundreds OF hands
would De needed. In this dilemma a beautiful
thought came 70 her: 1.-THE hands OF children! The
ssoPPy loving boys and girls Of r0r'landths' will
Before the end OF the week q host of children.
ladys house. The result of that meeting, as re-
corded ID history. Was; 10 form club which
should last .fo,ever 70 call Il THE Children's
ye have received, freely giye;' to pace the men,
bership fee at ten cents, so that no child should
:rieh; TO make no distinctions in regard to sect
or nationality; to permit TO join the club any girl
or BOY under eighteen years Of age who accepted
times with kind words TO assist children less
fortunate than themselves; 70 make every year,
for them: to save through the year toys books.
and games, instead OF carelessly destroying them;
TO save and, whenever practicable, put In good
any source, but TO keep as the keystone OF the
club the word '.give;" TO pay every year a tax OF
city hall on Th1rsday. December "a. isss' III 'n'
Officers were chosen and the days session came
10 an end- The news spread over the town. At
The hour ana place or reassembling three hundred
children were on hand, all eager TO be enrolled
members OF the club. Old folk, also, came along
10 give encouragement and advice. The organiza-
tlon was perfected; the en- huSiastic children
entered upon their work; and, true 10 the program
which they had arranged when Holy InnocentS'
Day appeared, they served a Christmas dinner TO
six hundred little guests, and introduced TO santa
Claus six hundred grateful, joyful little souls.
About eleven months after this banquet in the
CITY hall at Portland st. Nicholas put forth It's
Christmas number lOr 1883 The entire contents
OF that number none of you may now remember,
but one feature you can scarcely forget. 1t was
an open letter TO yourselveS-t0 all the boys and
girls in the world. IL told IN tender loving words
the story of the Portland club; and the writer OF
the letter--a lady. OF course-ciosed with an ap-
peal to st. Nicholas to ask its readers II there
should not be other Christmas clubs that Year,
II all the children In every city, every town and
every village should not have one good dinner, one
happy day, every year? And then, down at the
end OF the letter. In large capital letters appear ed
the command OF the MASTER added by good st.
Nicholas: go Thou and do Likewise"
Aad 80 st. Nicholas, faithful courier that It Is,
carried that open letter TO the girls and boys OF
''NOrth America, South America, Europe, Asia,
Africa and Australia" just as IL was asked; nor
did II neglect. in It's great continental trip, the
Islands OF the sea. Exactly what was done by the
young folk OF New Zealand when they read that
letter and the injunction OF st. Nicholas, have
not yet heard, and also await full particulars OF
its effect upon young people In other parts OF the
two heInispheres.
But that communication reached the city Of
Washington, In the District OF Columbia, on OF
about the 18th day OF November. Furthermore IL
AS read. IL Was read by the Young fox to whom
Ii was addressed; IL was read by The mothers and
fathers TO whom it was not addressed, but who
ha 1tlnZ of Al-f.s
the correspondence Of the young folk; and it Was
read by otner grown-up people who claimed that
privilege Us lovers OF good literature and good
deeds And when that letter lad been read The
mothers and the fathers and the other grOwn-up
fox thus answered for the boys and giris: 1.-The
city OF Washington shall have Christmas Club
this year,"
The letter was published in full in The EVENING
STAR. and the editor in vigorous lines of his own,
aroused the community To action. Two days after
that a call for gentlemen volunteers appeared In
the same journal; the gentlemen promptly came
forward, they united with the ladies who We're
assisting the young lolk, and soon the "Chldrens
Christmas club OF Washington" became an inst1-
tuition and fact.
Tue principles and methods OF the original
Christmas Club, as described in 81. Nicholas were
ciosely adhered to. only minor departures or those
demanded by the situation, being made. Owing
10 It's large population the city was divided into
four districts; one, known as District ii, embraced
the central and northern part of Washington
and the other districts were located TO the east to
the south, and TO the west. Each district had a
separate organization Of children, with separate
officers and committees. In District H. for in
stance, the president OF the club was Miss Nellie
Arthur, the daughter OF the President OF the
United states; and the older folk formed them
selves into ladies' committee and a gentle
mems committee, and good naturally stood In the
background prepared TO help when needed, but
not TO Interfere. And thus IL 10 pass that on
Holy lnnocent5' Day, In 1883 the Portland scene OF
1852 was reproduced, and !, 800 children gathered
In four different sections OF the Federal CITY en-
joyed the hospitality OF their more prosperous
friends. TO the banquet hall OF District III came
plants and evergreeas from the White House. and
1rO1i the same OH mansion came the small presi-
dent OF the club eseortng the big President OF the
Republic; and to that hal came also theChlef JUS
tice OF the United States, and Washington's white
haired philanthropist; and thither came also the
Marine Band, and Punch and Judy, and santa
Claus, and number OF other important person.
ages anxious TO see 500 little people eat, and TO
hear 800 little people laugh. And they were not
dissppotnted For 1t was scene OF fullness apd
But the children OF Washington, like their CON-
rades OF Portland, were resolved that their club
should last forever" and so, the following year. a
second festival was made. The number OF district
clubs, By misfortune 20 one or them had been
undim nished. In District III $50 were entertained
and as before, came the little and the big Presidents
the CHIEF Justice and the philantbropist, and the
Marine Band with its big bass drum and ciashfng
cymDals, and nta Claus Wi h his Jingiing bells
And the chidren In the other districts did their
part OF the noble work, and swelled the number of
tDe entertained 10 nearly 1000.
As concerns the number OF benehciaries In the
three districts the festival OF 1885 did not differ
|
ever, surrendered the White House to another
gentleman, and had taken TO her home in New
York the little president OF District H. But the
residents OF Washington would not allow so good
an institution as the Christmas Club TO perish
and the new administration was only too glad 10
lend hand. So. In the choice or new of1cers
caused BY the turn In political affairs Miss Mollle
Villas, the daughter OF tue Postmaster-General OF
the United sites, was elected president OF the
club. in place OF Miss Nellie Arthur who was made
vice-president; the sister OF the President OF the
L nited states became president OF the Ladies'
Committee, and the president OF the Board OF Com
missionerS OF the District OF Columbia became
president OF the Gentlemens Committee With
the prestige OF all these Presidents the clun
spread out Its feast OF 80; and In the presence OF
the Chief Justice OF tie supreme Court and OF the
wife OF the secretary or State and OF the yener.
able philanthropist, and OF the Marine Band and
OF all the rest, the guests OF that club demolished
the feast.
With the advent OF December, 1886, came again
the sound OF preparations. The clup got Itself To-
getner, and the members paid In their fees OF 10
cents each The advisory board OF ladies and
gentlemen took charge OF administrative details
The donations began TO pour in-money clothing,
toys, picture cards, and Offers OF omnibuses 20
carry guests too small TO walk
The feast given by District III was held on the
2Sth day OF December, at the National Rtfes
Arnory, and began at O'Clock In the afternoon,
Inc cluo had sent out SIX hundred cards OF inv
tation, and these had been Judlciousy distributed
among the children OF the poor. Long before the
hour the guests began TO arrive. Those who came
armed with invitations formed In line on rhe
pavement facing east; those without cards formed
an opposing line fac ng west. Both lines rapidly
grew In length, and by = O'clock when the iaSt
omnibus discharged It's numerous freight the